Indicator
Montane Zone
Basics
Montane Zone
Montane Old Growth
Outcome
Program
Each Unit (number)
VP15: 48 percent of the Montane zone (lower than 7,000 feet elevation) must be in a late seral or old growth condition. The Montane zone will contribute 20 percent (30,600 acres) of forested lands towards VP12.
Percent of subalpine, upper montane and montane zone stand acres that are dominated by late seral or old growth characteristics (tree size >24” dbh)
This Indicator is reported in the following LT Info areas:
Status

Estimated acres of conifer stands dominated by trees greater than 25-inches dbh (“old growth” forest stands) in montane elevation zones in the Tahoe Region. Some forest types remain unclassified resulting in the N/A column.

Name Options
Montane Old Growth
General

Program Late Seral and Old Growth Forest Monitoring

Approach

Every five years, the Tahoe vegetation map is updated with new satellite data (if available) and/or modeled and calibrated using field-based Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to assess the extent of different vegetation types and associated forest structure characteristics for the Region (USDA, 2009; Warbington et al., 2011). For this analysis, California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) vegetation types associated with large diameter trees were queried and enumerated from the most recently available vegetation map (U.S. Forest Service - Remote Sensing Lab Pacific Southwest Region: TMU_Strata_07 [published 2009]).

Partners

Associated Programs data not provided.